What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot of N4242H stated that he departed cottonwood airport (1C8) at approximately 3:00AM local on a pleasure flight to poplar grove airport (C77) to practice night takeoffs and landings on a hard-surface runway, as cottonwood airport is a grass runway. The pilot stated that he thought he was at traffic pattern altitude for poplar grove airport while in cruise flight. The pilot stated that the airplane began to impact ?something? Before coming to a stop. The airplane impacted trees before coming to rest in a tree approximately 4-5 miles west of C77. C77 is 13.5 nautical miles east of 1C8. The pilot stated that he climbed out of the airplane through the windshield and down the trees before calling his girlfriend to pick him up and drive him home. The pilot reported the accident at approximately 17:00 local time.
The pilot stated that he did not detect any mechanical irregularities prior to the accident.
When asked, the pilot stated that he had made the decision to conduct a night flight about four hours prior to departure, which would be around 23:00 local time. The pilot believed to have set his altimeter to cottonwood airport?s field elevation prior to departing from cottonwood airport. The pilot also stated that his transponder was turned on for the flight. The pilot stated that the aircraft does not have a panel backlight to illuminate the instruments and that he was using a headlamp to view the instrument panel. The pilot also stated that the landing light was not in use as he believed to be in cruise flight at the time, and that his visual references did not lead him to believe that he was in a descent.
Post-accident photographs from the pilot of N4242H indicate that the aircraft?s altimeter was set approximately to cottonwood?s field elevation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OF N4242H STATED THAT HE DEPARTED COTTONWOOD AIRPORT (1C8) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:00AM LOCAL ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT TO POPLAR GROVE AIRPORT (C77) TO PRACTICE NIGHT TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS ON A HARD-SURFACE RUNWAY, AS COTTONWOOD AIRPORT IS A GRASS RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS AT TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE FOR POPLAR GROVE AIRPORT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO IMPACT ?SOMETHING? BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES BEFORE COMING TO REST IN A TREE APPROXIMATELY 4-5 MILES WEST OF C77. C77 IS 13.5 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF 1C8. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND DOWN THE TREES BEFORE CALLING HIS GIRLFRIEND TO PICK HIM UP AND DRIVE HIM HOME. THE PILOT REPORTED THE ACCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 17:00 LOCAL TIME.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DETECT ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
WHEN ASKED, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD MADE THE DECISION TO CONDUCT A NIGHT FLIGHT ABOUT FOUR HOURS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, WHICH WOULD BE AROUND 23:00 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT BELIEVED TO HAVE SET HIS ALTIMETER TO COTTONWOOD AIRPORT?S FIELD ELEVATION PRIOR TO DEPARTING FROM COTTONWOOD AIRPORT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HIS TRANSPONDER WAS TURNED ON FOR THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DOES NOT HAVE A PANEL BACKLIGHT TO ILLUMINATE THE INSTRUMENTS AND THAT HE WAS USING A HEADLAMP TO VIEW THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE LANDING LIGHT WAS NOT IN USE AS HE BELIEVED TO BE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT THE TIME, AND THAT HIS VISUAL REFERENCES DID NOT LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THAT HE WAS IN A DESCENT.
POST-ACCIDENT PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE PILOT OF N4242H INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT?S ALTIMETER WAS SET APPROXIMATELY TO COTTONWOOD?S FIELD ELEVATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4242H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.